The invention relates to an apparatus for severing the link between two sausages, in particular for cutting out a clip at a twisting point, by means of a cutting device which has a cutting edge.
Nowadays, sausages are produced by filling a skin, whether this be a natural or synthetic skin, with a suitable sausage filling in sausage portions. The individual sausages are separated between the individual portions, usually by fitting clips and/or twisting the skin, for which reason this point is also known as the twisting point. The result is a string of sausages, from which these sausages subsequently have to be cut off, for example in order to automatically package a certain number of sausages. Today this is still carried out, at great expense, by hand.
DD 106 131 has disclosed a device for separating individual sausages from a string of sausages, which device comprises two part conveyor systems, each with a pair of conveyor belts. If a twist between the sausages passes through a detection system, a separation system is actuated and the twist is cut through. This detection system operates using a light barrier and mirrors and is therefore unsuitable for precise control of the cutting operation at the desired high speeds. A light barrier of this nature is extremely sensitive to extraneous light, and the mirrors are subject to contamination, so that the determination of twisting points is extremely unsatisfactory. This alone renders known devices unsuitable. In addition, the cutting device itself, which is designed as a lifting blade, has proven entirely unsuitable for the speeds which are required nowadays. The device is dubious in safety terms, since it has a valve shut-off system which always returns to the starting position even in the event of a fault.
Furthermore, DE-A 31 21 432 has disclosed a sausage-cutting machine of the type mentioned above which has a sensor whose radiation source feeds a beam of electromagnetic waves beyond the path of the sausages to a sensor. In this case too, mirrors are used, and these can easily become contaminated or coated with a film of grease from the sausages. The blade and its drive are entirely unsuitable for the high working rate of a sausage-cutting machine which is required nowadays.
DE-A 43 07 637 has also disclosed an apparatus for separating sausages from a string of sausages. This document primarily describes a method with which a twisting point between two sausages can be accurately determined. This method has significant advantages, since it is also possible to determine irregularities in a twisting point with extremely high accuracy. However, a motor with a blade is activated by means of a corresponding sensor which accurately determines the twisting point or the desired cutting point, this blade finally completing the cutting operation.
The sausages are separated, for example, by blades which are driven by a servomotor. These blades rotate and in doing so sever the string of sausages. Although this cutting operation does cut through the constrictions, the clip remains in place at one end of the sausage together with a tail section of the constriction. These tail sections together with clips are extremely unaesthetic and are not desired by the customer. Therefore, the clips which have remained behind also have to be cut off, so that the sausage appears more attractive and can be sold more successfully. In the context of recent foodstuff regulations, it is necessary for clips of this type to be removed from sausages. For this purpose, by way of example, DE 295 03 611 U1 has disclosed a double blade. Furthermore, DE 100 12 149 A1 describes an apparatus in which a blade with a cutting edge rotates in a cutting action around the twisting point in front of and behind the clip.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a simple apparatus of the type described above which allows the link between two sausages to be separated in particular even when a clip is present.